changes?
What currently brings you joy in your life?
Who can support you on your journey? What does support from this person (or these people) look like?
What is your greatest hope in doing this work?
Are you ready? Take a deep breath. Let’s do this!
CHAPTER 1
Surviving the Season of Sacrifice
Beginning this book probably marks the start of a new school year for you. If that’s the case, happy new year! For these first nine weeks, we’re going to explore opportunities related to our most basic physiological needs and also explore invitations that help us feel energized and truly alive as these will help set us up for success for the following weeks. Starting a new school year is filled with long days and lots of stress, whether you are a classroom teacher, instructional coach, administrator, paraprofessional, or any other position. Welcoming students and staff, adjusting to a new schedule, meeting families, and setting up your learning environment take time—hours that often come at the sacrifice of your own family, personal needs, and healthy habits. This year is going to be different, however. This year, you’re going to glide through the first nine weeks with energy and newly discovered pockets of time that you never knew you had!
Week One: Music (Days 1–5)
Quick! What’s your favorite song? What artist or genre gets you up off your feet (or at least tapping your toes)? Music is such a powerful tool to help us quickly change our moods. Research shows it “can reduce anxiety, depression, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, memory, increase some cognitive functions, enhance learning and concentration, and ward off the effects of brain aging” (Hampton, 2016).
I finally decided that it was totally and completely worth it to pay the subscription cost to the streaming music website Spotify (www.spotify.com/us) because I use it every single day. I create playlists for everything I need: to get me going in the morning, to calm me down, to focus when I’m working, to use during my workshops with educators, to get me pumped up while I’m working out, and to remind me of special times or events (such as my wedding song and those I associate with vacations or milestones). I love turning up the music loud in the morning and I love putting my earbuds in at the airport, creating a soothing soundtrack for the hustle and bustle going on around me. I am so incredibly grateful for the power of music.
• Monday: Create a go-to good-mood playlist. Use iTunes (https://apple.com/itunes), Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/music?hl=en_US), Spotify (https://spotify.com), Pandora (https://pandora.com), Amazon Music (www.amazon.com), or whatever other tool you have to create a five- or ten-song playlist that’s guaranteed to put you in a good mood.
• Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: Now crank it up. Tap Play at different times of the day on your fabulous compilation and check in mentally to see if it impacts your mood. Does listening in the morning feel different than listening in the afternoon? Do you crave different music in the evening? Pay attention to all of these details. You might consider engaging in mindful listening, which is similar to mindful eating (page 129). To do this, close your eyes and give your full attention to the song you’re listening to. Imagine what a person with synesthesia (sensations accompanying others, such as seeing colors when listening to music) might see or feel when listening to your songs. Write your observations about your experiences in the margins here.
• Friday: Share your playlist with a colleague, friend, or family member (kind of like when we used to give someone a mixed tape if you’re of a certain age). Or, if you’re a teacher, play at least one or two songs during class with your students. Try incorporating music into your curriculum, regardless of grade or subject. You might even consider starting lunchroom karaoke! What about a student or staff (or both) dance party in the morning or to end the day? Additionally, you could invite your students to share one of their favorite (school-appropriate) songs with you or the class as a way to get to know one another at the start of the school year. Staff could do this together as a way to build school culture and community.
If you’re an administrator, play songs during passing period or before or after school through the speaker system. See how playing music at the start of class or during passing period alters the climate. If students have an assessment, perhaps you can play some music to pump them up and get them ready before they begin. Or you could play music as a way to celebrate students’ accomplishments—either the whole class’ or individual students’.
Now that you’ve experimented with your playlists the last few days, spread the joy today!
Reflect on the Week
When and how did you incorporate music into your schedule this week? Which options did you choose and why?
How did the power of music impact your week?
How did sharing your playlist impact your day (and those around you)?
Do you plan to continue making music part of your routine? Why and how?
Week Two: Nutrition and Hydration (Days 6–10)
I know, I know, it’s not always fun to consider how the food we put in our bodies impacts how we feel, but the truth of the matter is, taking control over what we eat can have a huge impact on our mood and overall well-being (Naidoo, 2018). I’ve made massive shifts in my nutrition, and the biggest—totally unexpected—payoff of doing the hard work in this area has been my happiness. By eating foods that align with my health goals, I have found that my mood has stabilized (at a good place). Because I feel good physically, my energy and stamina are at all-time highs.
All that said, it’s not always easy to make the choices that I want or need to make. Of course, there’s a time and a place to splurge and enjoy homemade cookies or tortilla chips and guacamole (my all-time favorite treat). I just try to limit those splurges for special occasions or situations rather than indulging regularly. On a daily basis, it’s important to keep blood sugar levels balanced. Balancing blood sugar helps you avoid “adrenal fatigue, weight gain, sleep disturbances, and cardiovascular disease” (Ryan, n.d.). By balancing your blood sugar, you can move away from energy spikes and terrible crashes brought on by the sugary treats that we sometimes rely on to get through the day. This week, choose an option (adapted from Healthline Editorial Team, n.d.) that feels like a challenge but is still within reach.
• Don’t skip meals: It’s so very easy to miss breakfast when you’re hustling to get out the door, or to miss lunch when you’re trying to get three things checked off your to-do list during a twenty-minute lunch break. If you choose this option, commit to not skipping any meals. Not eating meals “makes
